Easter in Crete: Rethymno

Looking to shake off the blues of the UK's extended winter, my boyfriend and I booked a holiday to Crete over the Easter break. The eastern side of the island seems to be dominated by huge resorts along the coast, which are probably nice if you want to sit by the pool and soak up the sun, then move to the beach, perhaps visit the hotel bar then relax infront of an Abba tribute act in the evening. But having a thirst for soaking up different cultures and living like a local, we opted for a smaller hotel in the centre of the north coast; Rimondi Boutique Hotel in Rethymno.

A typical street in Rethymno Old Town

Whilst tourism was clearly the central trade of Rethymno, it was a great base and very easy on the eye. The majority of the town consist of sprawling modern development, including high rise apartment blocks and large retail units. But set within the ring that turned out to be made of copper, is the jewel of Rethymno Old Town.

Crete has been shaped by a history of Venetian and Turkish Rule and is arguably more influenced by these in many respects than by Greece. The Old Town was built in Venetian style with a maze of narrow streets, lined by terracotta-painted houses complete with balconies, wooden shutters and greened by numerous pot plants. The streets are car-free, although there was more than one occaison a motorbike or moped suddenly appeared behind us wanting to get past. The idyllic character of the Old Town was compromised by the fact that every wall was grafittied to some extent. In some streets there were just a couple of tags sprayed on the walls, whereas in others you could barely see the original paintwork.

Rethymno Venetian harbour at sunset

Arguably the key area of the town, and one of the biggest tourist draws is the Venetian harbour. The small and secluded harbour is now primarily a location for bars and restaurants rather than shipping Cretan goods, although the daily catch of fisherman is still brought in here by a few. Just along the front from the harbour is a small beach, separated from the main beach by the marina. I am lucky enough to have seen some spectacular beaches on my travels, but Rethymno is not one of them. The beach is long and provides a place to sunbathe and dip your toes in the sea when it's hot but it is uninspiring at best. At its worst, it was littered and next to a main road, accompanied by the relaxing sounds of building and roadworks. But thankfully, we came for a cultural holiday and for that we were spoilt.